1 ف َأجابَ صُوفَرُ النَّعْماتِيُّ:

And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: --

2 « ها إنَّ أفكارِي المُضطَرِبَةَ تَجعَلُنِي أُجِيبُكَ، بِسَبَبِ هَياجٍ فِي داخِلِي.

Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.

3 أ سمَعُ فِي كَلامِكَ لنا إهانَةً. سَأرُدُّ عَلَيكَ بِرُوحِ فَهمِي.

The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:

4 « أما عَلِمْتَ أنَّ الأُمُورَ هِيَ هَكَذا مُنذُ القَدِيمِ، مُنذُ أنْ وُجِدَ الإنسانُ عَلَى الأرْضِ؟

This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?

5 أ ما عَلِمْتَ أنَّ هُتافَ انتِصارِ الأشرارِ لا يَدُومُ، وَأنَّ فَرَحَ الفاسِدِينَ إلَى حِينٍ؟

That the singing of the wicked short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,

6 ح َتَّى لَوِ ارتَفَعَ كِبرِياؤُهُ إلَى السَّماواتِ وَرَأسُهُ إلَى السَّحابِ،

Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike --

7 ف َسَيَتَلاشَى إلَى الأبَدِ كَما تَتَلاشَى فَضَلاتُهُ. فَيَسألُ الَّذِينَ رَأُوهُ: «أينَ هُوَ؟»

As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: `Where he?'

8 ك َحُلمٍ يَطِيرُ، فَلا تَجِدُونَهُ، وَكَطَيفِ اللَّيلِ يُطرَدُ.

As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,

9 ل ا يَعُودُ يَراهُ مَنْ يَنظُرُ إلَيهِ، وَلا يُرَى مَكانُهُ فِيما بَعْدُ.

The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.

10 ي َستَجدِي أبناؤُهُ الفُقَراءُ، وَتَرُدُّ يَداهُ ما جَمَعَهُ مِنْ ثَرْوَةٍ.

His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.

11 ك انَتْ عِظامُهُ مَلِيئَةً بِرُوحِ الشَّبابِ، لَكِنَّها سَتَضطَجِعُ مَعَهُ فِي التُّرابِ.

His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.

12 « فِي فَمِهِ، يَحلُو مَذاقُ الشَّرِّ، فَيُخفِيهِ تَحتَ لِسانِهِ لِيَستَمتِعَ بِهِ.

Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,

13 ي َتَمَسَّكُ بِهِ وَلا يُفلِتُهُ، وَيُبقِيهِ فِي حَنَكِهِ،

Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,

14 ل َكِنَّ طَعمَهُ يَنقَلِبُ مُرّاً فِي مَعِدَتِهِ، وَيَكُونُ كَسُّمِّ الأفاعِي فِي جَوْفِهِ.

His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps in his heart.

15 ي َبتَلِعُ الثَّروَةَ ثُمَّ يَتَقَيّأُها، وَيَطرُدُها اللهُ مِنْ مَعِدَتِهِ.

Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.

16 ي َرضَعُ سُمَّ الأفاعِي، فَيَقتُلُهُ لِسانُ الأفعَى.

Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.

17 ل ا يَتَمَتَّعُ بِما يَرَى مِنْ أوْدِيَةٍ تَفِيضُ لَبَناً وَعَسَلاً.

He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.

18 ي َرُدُّ ثِمارَ تَعَبِهِ، لأنَّهُ لا يَقوَى عَلَى ابتِلاعِها، فَلا يَفرَحُ بِنَجاحِ تِجارَتِهِ.

He is giving back he laboured for, And doth not consume; As a bulwark his exchange, and he exults not.

19 ل أنَّهُ سَحَقَ المَساكِينَ وَتَرَكَهُمْ، وَاغتَصَبَ بَيتاً لَمْ يَبْنِهِ.

For he oppressed -- he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.

20 « لأنَّ جُوعَهُ لَيسَ لَهُ حَدٌّ، وَلا تُخَلِّصُهُ مُشتَهَياتُهُ.

For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.

21 ل َمْ يَتَبَقَّ فُتاتٌ بَعْدَ أنْ أكَلَ. لِهَذا لا يَدُومُ نَجاحُهُ.

There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.

22 ف ِي قِمَّةِ اكتِفائِهِ يَتَضايَقُ، وَتَأتِيهِ كُلُّ تَعاسَةٍ.

In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.

23 و َيُرسِلُ اللهُ عَلَيهِ غَضَبَهُ لِيَملأَ بِهِ بَطنَهُ، وَيُمطِرُ الغَضَبَ عَلَيهِ طَعاماً.

It cometh to pass, at the filling of his belly, He sendeth forth against him The fierceness of His anger, Yea, He raineth on him in his eating.

24 إ نْ هَرَبَ مِنْ سِلاحِ الحَدِيدِ، يَختَرِقُهُ سَهمٌ مِنْ نُحاسٍ.

He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.

25 ي ُسحَبُ السَّهمُ مِنْ ظَهرِهِ، وَرَأسُ السَّهمِ اللّامِعِ كَالبَرقِ مِنْ مَرارَتِهِ، وَيَهُزُّهُ الرُعْبُ.

One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him terrors.

26 ل ا تَرَى كُنُوزُهُ ضَوْءَ النَّهارِ، وَتَلتَهِمُهُ نارٌ لَمْ يُضْرِمْها بَشَرٌ. فَتُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ ما تَبَقَّى مِنْ بَيتِهِ.

All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.

27 ت َكشِفُ السَّماواتُ إثمَهُ، وَتَقُومُ الأرْضُ ضِدَّهُ.

Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.

28 ت ُجرَفُ كُلُّ مُقتَنَياتِ بَيتِهِ حِينَ يَفِيضُ غَضَبُ اللهِ.

Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.

29 ه َذا نَصِيبُ الشِّرِيرِ مِنْ غَضَبِ اللهِ، وَمِيراثُهُ الَّذِي حَدَّدَهُ اللهُ.»

This the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.